He bent forward and produced a stick. His hand deftly snapped away twigs and finally, upon his close inspection and satisfaction, handed it to the little girl. She preened and cooed in delight.
Kyra stared in wonder. Eris had gifted the girl a stick, and she acted as though he had given her something truly spectacular. Without warning, the cat in her arms hissed ferociously.
Kyra stared down at it in confusion. The back was arched, and its canines were bared. It stared at Eris. It appeared that whatever magic he possessed in drawing grown men and little children to his side did not extend to cats. An excited shout drew her attention away from the distraught cat.
“Mama.”
She could only stare as the little girl launched herself at her. Kyra had time only to drop the aggressive feline before the excited girl sprang into her arms. Glee and joy shone on her tiny face as she hugged and squeezed tightly. Kyra stared above the burden in her arms. Her eyes latched onto Eris’s in panic as her mouth silently mimicked a single word. “Mama.”
Eris appeared to freeze. Grunting with impatience, he shuffled his feet in the loose soil. Kyra’s heart hammered. His reaction was totally uncharacteristic, and she could draw only one conclusion. He knew. The child was deliberately kept secreted away from her. She scowled. He lowered his gaze as Kyra struggled to control her shattered emotions, her panic. Eris eyed Kat. The light of concern in his eyes was unmistakable. Kyra knew. Should she not handle this deftly, she could break this little girl’s heart. Approaching the situation purely on halting instinct, Kyra took control. She turned her attention to the talking child.
“When have you arrived? I have missed you so.” The girl clung fiercely around her neck.
Kyra blinked down at her but managed a faint smile. She whispered in a broken voice, “I have just arrived.” Her mind scrambled for a name and came up blank. She quickly added, “My pet.”
The child giggled. “I have been praying in the temples for your safe return every day. Now I owe a sacrifice to the Gods, for my wish has been granted. Tell me of your travels, Mama.”
Kyra swallowed hard. Her voice was dry and brittle. “My travels have left me weary. I hope to tell you more after I have had time to rest.”
Tiny arms hugged her tightly. “You must be really exhausted. You appear strained.”
Kyra nodded mutely, opting to guard her tongue before any irreversible damage could be done. Eris quickly stepped forward. “Aikaterina, Kat, your mama needs some rest. Shall we allow the princess some time before we pounce on her?”
Kyra latched onto the information he expertly fed her. The child was called Aikaterina or Kat. But the name was still unfamiliar to her.
Kat pouted but obediently slid free of her mother’s embrace. She looked up pleadingly, “Will you come to me when you have rested? There is so much I must tell you.”
Kyra’s dry tongue was plastered to the roof of her mouth. She wrenched it loose with determination. “I will try to avail myself anon, Kat.” She could think of nothing else to say. Kat, unfortunately, was still reluctant to leave and lingered, hopping excitedly from one foot to the other.
Eris interjected, “Train in the privacy of your room and remember a warrior keeps a weapon close at all times.”
Those seemed to be the magical words that finally set her feet in motion. Kat clutched her precious stick to her chest and declared before sprinted off. “I shall train hard, and tomorrow we shall attack the wheat.”
A deafening silence followed her absence. Kyra stared at Eris with wide empty eyes. Eris quickly pulled her into his arms and whispered gently, “It will be all right, Kyra. We shall figure this out—and soon.”
She whimpered against his chest. The sound was choked, broken. Her heart threatened with every beat to crack and splinter. She could find no words to voice the vortex of confusion within her. She swallowed helplessly as Eris squeezed her tightly. After a long pause, her voice left her, jerky, uncertain. “Today I met a mother I remembered not. She said she understood. Now I meet a daughter I remember not. But I cannot understand.” She broke down completely as she wailed, “What kind of a mother forgets her own child?”
Eris’s grip around her tightened fiercely. Kyra clung onto him as she crumbled within. Her pain seared a burning path straight to her belly. It stayed there like a scorching ball, inflaming her insides, incinerating.
Eris whispered huskily in her hair. He soothed her. “A mother who has had an accident, and a mother who is unwell. Kyra, we will remedy this. You must be strong. The child…”
Kyra interrupted him sharply. “You knew all along. Why did you not warn me ahead? I could have hurt her so badly.”
Eris answered truthfully. “For the protection of the child. We had hoped to keep her ignorant of your presence until your memory has returned.” His voice rang with resolve. “Your memories shall return, Kyra.”
She pushed away with a sharp hiss. “And what of the father of this child? Is he also safely guarded from me?”
Her anger manifested itself in the form of uncontrollable tremors. Her teeth cluttered noisily. Her entire body shook. Rage was easier to handle than the pitiful self-loathing coursing through her. She grabbed hold of the fury, clinging to it as a shield, deflecting her pain.
Eris’s response was low. “I know nothing of her father… or a possible husband.”
Kyra swallowed hard as his words sank in. She stared at him. Pain and uncertainty marred his features. She clamped her teeth down solidly against the words threatening to spill from her lips, straight from her ravaged heart. There was a great chance that he would be wrenched cruelly from her life. He could so easily be ousted, leaving nothing but fruitless hopes and unforgettable memories, shattered dreams. She could lose him before she had even had the chance to completely have him. Was this what it felt like to lose something you never really had in the first place? Was this empty hole in the center of her chest the consequence of giving away her heart, only to have it returned, ravaged and scarred? But it would never quite fit as completely as before.
She understood the look in his eyes. It mirrored her turmoil within. The very ground had been shaken beneath them, uprooting and tossing them into disarray. Her fear of his beast paled in comparison to this new problem. She could not imagine a life without him. “Forever” was a word she had relished just yesterday, now she despised it. She could lose him forever.
Kyra straightened slowly. She looked back at the palace, large and gaping. This was her home, but it appeared foreign and daunting. She turned away. A part of her wished to grab hold of his hand and flee the city gates, to never look back. A portion of her wished she had never found him to begin with. Then her heart would not feel like it was been shredded into a thousand scattered pieces. But the greatest part of her realized her wishes were futile and much too late. She spoke curtly, “I shall find the answers. And this time only truth shall greet my questions.”
Eris clasped her hand. His grip was fierce, unrelenting, “I will not leave you no matter what.”
* * * *
Eris greeted her politely as he strode, clutching Kyra’s hand, into the chamber a slave had pointed out. “Good day, Mistress Alta.”
Before he could get a response, Kyra’s voice lashed out. “Why is someone in this household seeking to purposefully keep vital truths from me?”
Alta, who had been caught in the act of trimming an indoor hedge, jumped in surprise and consequently cut the stem clean off. She tittered in pity as she held the severed plant in one hand, the shears dangling from the other. She replied without turning to address them. “Is it not sad how something nurtured with such care can be severed in the blink of an eye? Accidental is no less hurtful.” She turned slowly, discarded the plant in a nearby waste basket, and continued, “Seeing as I have kept naught hidden from you, I can only guess the culprit to be Aleka.”
Kyra spared a single mournful glance at the wastebasket before asking with a frown, “And just who is this Aleka that she feels
she has the right to meddle in my affairs?”
A firm, sturdy voice replied, “That would be me.” The threesome turned to the entrance as one Aleka strolled forward with all the grace of a queen and stated, “I have the right instilled upon me by my father, the king of the land of Pandora, as substitute leader in his absence, and by birth, as your sister.”
Eris lingered well in the background as the two women stared each other down. He did not know much about these people’s cultures, but it appeared as though he were about to witness a catfight. Their eyes, a pair of stormy gray and another of brilliant blue, flashed at each other.
Kyra assessed her sister slowly from head to toe. Her brows knitted. “We do not appear to have much in common.”
Her insult was a biting one, but Aleka simply bit out a short brittle laugh and replied with an equally insulting scrutiny of Kyra, “Yes and thank the Gods for that.”
Kyra inhaled sharply.
Aleka eyed Kyra coyly before asking, “Is it not interesting? You have no recollection of your past and now meet a sister for what must seem like the first time. I wonder, little Kyra, do you suppose we were actually fond of each other as sisters?”
Kyra narrowed her eyes and replied after a moment of thought, “Considering you are direct and forthright, I would consider it a valuable asset in a friend. Having those qualities in a sister would be an equally pleasing asset, making you a blessing. Yes, I would surmise we were rather close sisters. At the very least I find you rather entertaining.”
Aleka smiled and shook her head. “No, dear Kyra, entertaining would be a title owned solely by you. Just witness the spectacle you are embroiled in at present.” Her smile suddenly flashed brilliantly. “Welcome home, Kyra. I have missed your spirited presence greatly.”
She immediately engulfed Kyra in a crushing hug. As Aleka drew away, she whispered, “You must tell me where you have managed to procure such a fine figure of a man.” She licked her lips decadently. “Quite splendid. Mayhap I shall venture in that direction myself.”
Alta laughed. “That I would like to see. Aleka, you know well enough you are satisfied within these walls. It is Kyra who is the adventurer. Now come, let us have some wine and bread.”
Eris watched the exchange with a frown. He turned deaf ears to their blatant prattling about him. They changed opinions and sparred so subtlety he had been confused from one moment to the next as to whether they actually got along. But that had not been nearly as bad as what appeared to be transpiring now. Now they appeared to prepare to partake of a tasty meal accompanied by friendly female chitchat. Where had Kyra’s urgency disappeared to? Before he could stop himself, his question was shouted out, curt and rather demanding, “Who is the father of Kyra’s child?”
Three pairs of eyes turned on him, two pairs gray and one blue. Eris swallowed. He had not meant to blurt out so rudely, but the urgency within him had not abated. From the moment he had arrived he had been practically consumed, eaten from within with fetid insecurity and the unyielding green-eyed monster—jealousy. And it had not simply taken a bite off his butt. It had taken a sizable chunk out. He cleared his throat and added in a lowered voice, “Kyra has met Aikaterina.”
Alta continued to stare at him. He could see clearly that his statement had not excused his sudden outburst to the astute older woman. She gestured toward the wide seats. “Let us sit and discuss the best way to venture forth.”
Eris was much too impatient. He did not know where exactly he stood with Kyra, if he stood a chance at all, and these two women held the answer beneath tied tongues, twisted innuendoes, and coy glances. Alta’s glance clearly held undisguised amusement, and he did not like it. He responded curtly, “Partake of seats if you wish, but I shall remain standing.”
Alta smiled briefly and shrugged. “Partake of standing if you wish while we shall partake of a civil discussion.”
Eris fumed as he watched all three women snicker. Alta clearly meant to leave him out of the conversation unless he bent to her wishes. His behind hit the seat with a heavy thump, a dull echo to his impatient grunt.
Alta sat in a large chair, but it was Aleka who spoke first. “I sought only to protect Aikaterina by guarding my tongue, sister. For all the show to the contrary, she is a tender-hearted lass and I would not see her hurt.”
Kyra nodded. “The deed has been done. She is unscathed thus far. However, I cannot, in good faith, vouch for her continued contentment unless I am in possession of all the relevant facts.”
Alta smiled broadly at Eris and responded, “You are not aware of the traditions of our people, and we have a fairly staggering amount of them. So before I blatantly point out the father, I shall seek to enlighten you.” She leaned forward and clapped her hands together sharply, dismissing the lingering slaves before continuing, “One of the basic traditions pertaining to a female of royal birth is proof of her fertility. She can only seek a prominent marriage if she is well capable of taking within her the seed of a man and producing of it a healthy offspring. Aikaterina is that proof.”
Eris inhaled sharply at Alta’s explicit description. The mental picture of Kyra accepting the seed of another man into her warm body was not pleasant. In fact, his body clenched in rage at the prospect. He could not fully understand what rights the donor of that consequent seed held over Kyra, but he did not plan on leaving this chamber until he knew. He also wanted to know if there was a way to contest any standing this man may have over her. Kyra would be his, even if he had to fight for her.
Alta seemed to be enjoying his discomfort and added chirpily, “Perhaps I should describe the entire process more fully for your benefit.”
Eris growled but refrained from responding further. There was only one way he would gain the knowledge he sought, and that was by listening to every gruesome, heart-wrenching detail.
Alta smiled brightly. “Kyra, of course, has the first rights. She is the one who would choose her partner. You must know Kyra attracted a fair bit of competitors. Upon hearing of her maturing, men rushed forth from the far reaches of Sparta and beyond. They were set up in line formation, gloriously naked, for her perusal and consequent choosing.”
Eris stiffened. He could well picture the scene. Knowing Kyra’s lusty appetite, she would have sought out and settled on the largest, fiercest lance she could find.
Alta laughed suddenly. “Kyra chose the smallest, puniest, the most unintimidating of the lot.”
Kyra gasped as Eris stared at her, stunned. Aleka joined her mother in laughter. “Yes, Kyra, you were not always this feisty and daring. In fact, I recall that day well. You turned positively green and looked through tightly narrowed eyes concealed beneath quaking hands, pointed, and simply ran out the room.”
Alta sighed. “But at least the man was in possession of the most vital ingredient, seed. We were very proud of her when she conceived after just two couplings.”
Eris stared at Kyra. He could well imagine her swollen and blossoming. He just wished he had been the cause of her condition. They had already reached the two-coupling mark. Could it be possible that she carried his child even as they spoke? But this was no time for hopeful speculations. Now all he could settle for was answers. “Where is the father?”
Alta shrugged. “Who knows? Our tradition is clear.” She stared at Eris meaningfully as she continued, “The child is to be brought up with the same love and acceptance as any future children produced through marriage and will hold equal status except in the case of a male. He cannot be named heir but will be compensated fully. The bearer of the seed, on the other hand, holds no rights over the child or over the recipient of that seed.”
Eris exhaled slowly. That meant she remained free for the plucking. His finger itched. He could not wait a moment longer to get her large with his child.
Alta stopped his thoughts dead on that track. “Of course, you should know we prod our children of aristocratic backgrounds toward a specific mate when forming a permanent bond of marriage. A Spartan.”
Eris’s frantic mind could only bring forth an image of Thyone. He growled, “Why?”
Alta smiled cunningly. “Why, for the benefit of the next generation of course. Have you not seen what men we have to offer? The royal lineage must produce strong, dominating heirs to lead us into the future.” She sighed softly. “Kyra’s father also chose of Sparta for his heirs. Do not misunderstand me. He loved Aleka’s mother greatly, but we could not resist the attraction between us. I, being of the Pandoran people, could never be considered when producing heirs, so I waited until he had produced of his first marriage to his strong Sparta wife four masculine heirs and a striking daughter—Aleka.”
Aleka stared down at her lap in embarrassment as all eyes suddenly turned to her. The older woman smiled at her reassuringly, “Of course, by the time of Aleka’s conception, Kyra’s father’s loins were filled with stamina and vigor. I conceived at the same time—Kyra.” She sighed mournfully. “Aleka’s mother passed on from this world not long after. I believe the girls at the time were about Aikaterina’s age, tender youths of five. But we forged on. We had lived all together as a family, and continued to do so after her death. Aleka is as much my daughter as she is sister to Kyra.”
Aleka chose that moment to inject some humor. “So you can understand how Kyra’s dainty, petite appearance contradicts mine. You must, however, view her three brothers to appreciate the humor more thoroughly. We can only hope those three dainty males, as fragile as dandelions and beautiful as rose blossoms, will find adequate mates.”
Alta laughed. “I shall pray every day for that. Oh, my poor whimsical lads. Let us hope they find sturdy females or their future holds more prancing peacocks for the future generation.”
Eris smiled as he tried to picture Kyra’s brothers. He gathered they did not differ greatly from the man Kyra had chosen for her own initiation. Suddenly he thrust his chest proudly forward and stated, “Seeing as strength and dominance are all the criteria you seek, I do not see your insistence on mates descending specifically from Sparta. Surely mates of equal disposition from other parts of Greece can be considered.”
Tangles and Temptation Page 19